Training on the diagnosis and primary treatment of HIV/AIDS will be now given to members of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) in the country. The project will be undertaken by the IMA under their medical specialty wing along with monitory support from the Clinton Foundation. The agreement has already been signed and representative office of the Clinton Foundation has already been opened in New Delhi for the project to commence.
The national chairman of the IMA Academy of Medical Specialty, Dr RD Dubey, said that it is being observed that the doctors sometimes shy away from giving treatment and counselling to the HIV patients. Stating that HIV actually is not the condition of AIDS a situation needing proper attention so as to restrict its transformation into AIDS.Dr Dubey said that the general plan for the training programme has already been prepared. He said each state secretary of IMA would select two member doctors for the training in the first phase. These doctors he said, would be trained at a national workshop. He explained that the trained doctors would then conduct workshops in each branch to make doctors aware about the facility regarding the treatment of HIV/AIDS. Dr Dubey said that many physicians did not even know about the referral and sample testing centres, which exists in every State.
The IMA’s branch plans to conduct the training workshops for two days with only 50 doctors being taken in each batch for the training. If required the branch will hold two separate training workshops to share the knowledge with other doctors. The programme will get approximately Rs 20 crore fund for the workshops with experts being provided by the IMA itself.
Dr Dubey said, that they are trying to attach doctors of all specialties with IMA. Stating that an umbrella organisation called the Federation of Medical Association (FOMA) has been formed where various organisations of cardiologists, neurologists, surgeons and physiologists will join. He felt that this would automatically make members of other medical organisations a member of IMA, thereby strengthening the largest network of doctors in the country.
